...ssssSEEEFUTJAI!!!
Monday, December 25, 2006
And so this is Christmas... - Monday, December 25 2006
i'll let my words be few for now. just know that this Christmas Eve is not one i'll soon forget, if ever. luckily, we live in the digital age so these pictures can do the talking for now. i'll explain later.
maybe. =P
[*click below]
Merry Christmas.
i'll let my words be few for now. just know that this Christmas Eve is not one i'll soon forget, if ever. luckily, we live in the digital age so these pictures can do the talking for now. i'll explain later.
maybe. =P
[*click below]
Merry Christmas.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Murderous intent, and the COOLEST hat on earth - Saturday, December 2 2006
ok...seems like the Midnight Karaoke Man has gotten a second wind or something.
after finding out who he was, my first method was tossing up garbage. but after a while, i thought i'd need to be more direct since it didn't seem to make any difference. he either didn't get it, or is just such an idiot that he doesn't care. so, i stuck a banana peel in his mailbox outside. i found out the bakka doesn't even lock it! just leaves the combo dial on the last number. i thought that worked b/c the singing stopped for a while, but now i'm thinking it was just coincidental b/c it came back. so finally some time over a month ago i got so fed up one night that i went upstairs, pounded on his door and popped open his door's mailslot to yell the only insulting japanese words i knew: "bakka! urasai!" (pretty lame, means like: idiot and you're noisy). i swear he must be wearing headphones or something...there's no way he wouldn't hear me otherwise. i rang his doorbell, kicked the door...arghghg!! nothing. he was either ignoring me, or honestly didn't hear. i popped open his mail collector (box hanging off the inside of the door to catch slips that get put in through the slot) though, just so at least he'd know someone had done been there.
(this would be so terrible if it ends up that he's some sort of mentally retarded dude in there living w/ his mom or something...and singing at night is like his only solace/comfort. i would feel like such a complete ass. the lowliest scum to have ever walked the earth...)
but COME ON, i've considered that and what are the chances???? he's a MORON people! and on top of that...a coward if he's noticed someone's got complaints, but doesn't want to talk about it. i don't mind you practicing(God knows you need it)...and i know the walls are thin (i can even hear people snoring sometimes)...but not in the twilight hours please, and honestly if you're going to belt it out at least do it in the shower or something?? i'm a reasonable man; i'd write him a letter or something, invite him down for sushi and tea, have a chat. but no, i can't write Japanese (i'll just draw a visual death threat w/ a big "X" sign over a picture of someone singing), and it seems he's not interested in talking when i knock on his door...because he can't hear the knocking over the sound of his bloody tone-deaf voice! yes.
so that pounding on the door episode seemed to do the trick b/c he's been quiet for almost a month now, but some time last week he started crooning again. at first it was pretty quiet and not every day so i let it go...but the volume's been steadily increasing, and the other night(Wednesday?) it was like 0300 and i woke up. i was lying there wondering "what the...why'd i just wake up?" after a few seconds of silence, sure enough jap rap could be heard through the paper thin walls. dammit...it's like he's so irritating that even if i don't consciously hear him, my amphibious-ears are still disturbed enough to wake me up! i was pissed. u know the drill...
out on the balcony and toss up an orange...no dice. not wanting to waste anymore fruit i tried an empty can, plastic bottle, and some expired tomatoe juice. the last 2 missed actlly, and fell down to the 1st floor after clattering loudly off the neighbouring rooftop. yeesh...i was starting to feel bad for the other neighbours since i was causing some disturbance...and the damn singer (who is actin clueless of course) is still going at it with absolutely no clue (either that, or just out of plain rudeness) that i want to DESTROY him. ok, after a split-second of insanity i calmed myself down:
*deep breath* "ok...you're half-asleep, your aim is bad. don't try hookshots off the balcony anymore. you're just missing and littering poor #101's balcony with garbage. fruit is expensive too. don't waste it. now this is what you're gonna do: eggs are cheaper than fruit, and messier. and be more direct, don't make it hard on yourself. go straight to the source."
aah, much better. so i grab the tamago and go upstairs...buzz the doorbell, do the whole mailslot bit again...no answer. arggh!! that's it...WHAM! eggs fly. goodnight, thank you very much.
i was tired, i figured leaving him that mess would be enough to let him know something was up. that's gotta be THE most obvious thing i've done so far (other than the mailslot yelling). i mean; the banging on the ceiling...ok maybe he just thought of it as random noise. the garbage on his balcony? oh well maybe he just thinks he has magic seagull visitors who bring him treasures from the sea. the banana peel in his mailbox? ah, just a random prank...but this time i was confident buddy would be getting the message.
but guess what?
i don't think the idiot's left his apartment since that night! i heard his neighbour across the hall comment on the eggs loudly on thursday morning as i heard him leave for work, so when i came home from school that day i walked up to take a look...everything was still there! yolks on the ground right in front of the opening crack, broken eggshells still uncrushed, and all that other messy egg stuff smeared on the door. huh...maybe he just wore himself out singing? he'll come around sooner or later i thought.
today is Saturday. here's what his front door STILL looks like:
oh you can't stay in there forever bakka...those eggs will start smelling. if it comes to that, then you'll hear all about it from your neighbour.
seriously though...what sort of character is this guy? tone-deaf a capella singer by night...and doesn't leave the house for days on end? i've caught glimpses of everyone else who lives in the building (its only got 5 units) except him. i'll keep an eye out. in the meantime, maybe i'll think about enrolling in a Japanese anger-management class. =P
ok. that was just some ranting/venting i needed to do. thank you. on with some more entertaining business...
for some reason i've begun acquiring a number of interesting hats here in Japan. i started off with these bargains that i found at the 100yen(100yen=$1CDN) shop:
(thought this was cool b/c it makes my head look like a hacky sack...)
(so i bought 2!)
then there was this one, a total Jap-Indiana Jones hat. for 500yen? c'mon i had to:
(kev, if i hear Brokeback one more time...)
(and of course: new country, new Nipple! it only makes sense.)
but, not even the new Nipple hat from Nippon can compare to this hat i just got today at a cool shop in Kyoto called Octopus Army. oh my, when students see me flying down the streets on my granny bike, with my wooden sandals clanging on the pedals...THIS is what will be on my noggin:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Sugoi!
(and i don't even have to worry about it flying off while cruising either...it's got chin straps!)
oh, and i did something for the first time in a long while today too. felt good.
after finishing up my Christmas shopping today, i was trying to find my way back to the train station so i stopped to ask these 2 guys who worked at this big-chain shoe store called "Step" (equivalent of something like Footlocker i'd say). they were out there doing their thing waving a big sign, screaming "irrashi moshi!!" etc... and one of 'em was even wearing a santa suit. turns out santa had pretty decent eigo, so after pointing me in the right direction i said thanks...and just as i was walking away i turned around and gave him a great Canadian "Merry Christmas!"
k, enough.
sayonara...
(isn't this just SO cool??? =P)
ok...seems like the Midnight Karaoke Man has gotten a second wind or something.
after finding out who he was, my first method was tossing up garbage. but after a while, i thought i'd need to be more direct since it didn't seem to make any difference. he either didn't get it, or is just such an idiot that he doesn't care. so, i stuck a banana peel in his mailbox outside. i found out the bakka doesn't even lock it! just leaves the combo dial on the last number. i thought that worked b/c the singing stopped for a while, but now i'm thinking it was just coincidental b/c it came back. so finally some time over a month ago i got so fed up one night that i went upstairs, pounded on his door and popped open his door's mailslot to yell the only insulting japanese words i knew: "bakka! urasai!" (pretty lame, means like: idiot and you're noisy). i swear he must be wearing headphones or something...there's no way he wouldn't hear me otherwise. i rang his doorbell, kicked the door...arghghg!! nothing. he was either ignoring me, or honestly didn't hear. i popped open his mail collector (box hanging off the inside of the door to catch slips that get put in through the slot) though, just so at least he'd know someone had done been there.
(this would be so terrible if it ends up that he's some sort of mentally retarded dude in there living w/ his mom or something...and singing at night is like his only solace/comfort. i would feel like such a complete ass. the lowliest scum to have ever walked the earth...)
but COME ON, i've considered that and what are the chances???? he's a MORON people! and on top of that...a coward if he's noticed someone's got complaints, but doesn't want to talk about it. i don't mind you practicing(God knows you need it)...and i know the walls are thin (i can even hear people snoring sometimes)...but not in the twilight hours please, and honestly if you're going to belt it out at least do it in the shower or something?? i'm a reasonable man; i'd write him a letter or something, invite him down for sushi and tea, have a chat. but no, i can't write Japanese (i'll just draw a visual death threat w/ a big "X" sign over a picture of someone singing), and it seems he's not interested in talking when i knock on his door...because he can't hear the knocking over the sound of his bloody tone-deaf voice! yes.
so that pounding on the door episode seemed to do the trick b/c he's been quiet for almost a month now, but some time last week he started crooning again. at first it was pretty quiet and not every day so i let it go...but the volume's been steadily increasing, and the other night(Wednesday?) it was like 0300 and i woke up. i was lying there wondering "what the...why'd i just wake up?" after a few seconds of silence, sure enough jap rap could be heard through the paper thin walls. dammit...it's like he's so irritating that even if i don't consciously hear him, my amphibious-ears are still disturbed enough to wake me up! i was pissed. u know the drill...
out on the balcony and toss up an orange...no dice. not wanting to waste anymore fruit i tried an empty can, plastic bottle, and some expired tomatoe juice. the last 2 missed actlly, and fell down to the 1st floor after clattering loudly off the neighbouring rooftop. yeesh...i was starting to feel bad for the other neighbours since i was causing some disturbance...and the damn singer (who is actin clueless of course) is still going at it with absolutely no clue (either that, or just out of plain rudeness) that i want to DESTROY him. ok, after a split-second of insanity i calmed myself down:
*deep breath* "ok...you're half-asleep, your aim is bad. don't try hookshots off the balcony anymore. you're just missing and littering poor #101's balcony with garbage. fruit is expensive too. don't waste it. now this is what you're gonna do: eggs are cheaper than fruit, and messier. and be more direct, don't make it hard on yourself. go straight to the source."
aah, much better. so i grab the tamago and go upstairs...buzz the doorbell, do the whole mailslot bit again...no answer. arggh!! that's it...WHAM! eggs fly. goodnight, thank you very much.
i was tired, i figured leaving him that mess would be enough to let him know something was up. that's gotta be THE most obvious thing i've done so far (other than the mailslot yelling). i mean; the banging on the ceiling...ok maybe he just thought of it as random noise. the garbage on his balcony? oh well maybe he just thinks he has magic seagull visitors who bring him treasures from the sea. the banana peel in his mailbox? ah, just a random prank...but this time i was confident buddy would be getting the message.
but guess what?
i don't think the idiot's left his apartment since that night! i heard his neighbour across the hall comment on the eggs loudly on thursday morning as i heard him leave for work, so when i came home from school that day i walked up to take a look...everything was still there! yolks on the ground right in front of the opening crack, broken eggshells still uncrushed, and all that other messy egg stuff smeared on the door. huh...maybe he just wore himself out singing? he'll come around sooner or later i thought.
today is Saturday. here's what his front door STILL looks like:
oh you can't stay in there forever bakka...those eggs will start smelling. if it comes to that, then you'll hear all about it from your neighbour.
seriously though...what sort of character is this guy? tone-deaf a capella singer by night...and doesn't leave the house for days on end? i've caught glimpses of everyone else who lives in the building (its only got 5 units) except him. i'll keep an eye out. in the meantime, maybe i'll think about enrolling in a Japanese anger-management class. =P
ok. that was just some ranting/venting i needed to do. thank you. on with some more entertaining business...
for some reason i've begun acquiring a number of interesting hats here in Japan. i started off with these bargains that i found at the 100yen(100yen=$1CDN) shop:
(thought this was cool b/c it makes my head look like a hacky sack...)
(so i bought 2!)
then there was this one, a total Jap-Indiana Jones hat. for 500yen? c'mon i had to:
(kev, if i hear Brokeback one more time...)
(and of course: new country, new Nipple! it only makes sense.)
but, not even the new Nipple hat from Nippon can compare to this hat i just got today at a cool shop in Kyoto called Octopus Army. oh my, when students see me flying down the streets on my granny bike, with my wooden sandals clanging on the pedals...THIS is what will be on my noggin:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Sugoi!
(and i don't even have to worry about it flying off while cruising either...it's got chin straps!)
oh, and i did something for the first time in a long while today too. felt good.
after finishing up my Christmas shopping today, i was trying to find my way back to the train station so i stopped to ask these 2 guys who worked at this big-chain shoe store called "Step" (equivalent of something like Footlocker i'd say). they were out there doing their thing waving a big sign, screaming "irrashi moshi!!" etc... and one of 'em was even wearing a santa suit. turns out santa had pretty decent eigo, so after pointing me in the right direction i said thanks...and just as i was walking away i turned around and gave him a great Canadian "Merry Christmas!"
k, enough.
sayonara...
(isn't this just SO cool??? =P)
Sunday, November 26, 2006
barely keeping up... - Saturday, Nov. 25 2006
things've been a lil hectic since coming back from my Okinawan Holiday.
2 weeks ago: a trip to K-town w/ the school & a historical tour of Mori-G (yes, the Hood has a history)
2 weekends ago: vball tournament in Hirakata City, PTA event(tamaire)
Last week: JET mid-year seminar in Abiko, trip to Ame-mura to see if i could spot any freaks (didn't really see any, guess i was the only one =P)
...and (today) a nice scenic afternoon in the historic city of Uji in Kyoto w/ 4 ladies.
i was totally unaware that i'd be playing nihon gigolo today. they told me it was going to be an English study-group, (i had worksheets n discussion questions all prepped n everything!) but when i met up w/ my contact from the BOE at the train station this morning @ 1100 she tells me things are going to be "slightly" different.
i was a bit choked at first; i thought this discussion group would only last for an hour or 2 then i'd be free the rest of the day, but as it turned out they'd decided to go on a "field trip"...and the plan was to practice their english by conversing with me in a casual atmosphere. great. i was preparing myself for a looong afternoon...we were meeting the rest of the group (3 other ladies) in Uji (2nd largest city in Kyoto prefecture), the location for the day.
i'll admit though, i lucked out. the day turned out to be very interesting and they PAID for everything; train fare, admissions, lunch, snack/dessert...their way of showing gratitude for my taking the time to help them practice their English i guess. but yeah...i totally feel like i'm the one who got the good end of this bargain. a walk through the park w/ a bunch of cougars to "watch the changing colours of autumn leaves" doesn't exactly sound thrilling to me...but it was pretty nice actually.
2 of them just got their licenses as English-speaking tour guides, so they were able to tell me a lot of information about the sites/buildings and stuff; history of Phoenix hall, the city of Uji's connections to the famous Tale of Genji, and other info that helped make things that much more interesting. many of the things we saw are from the Heian Period (which was the last division of classical Jap history: 794-1185)...meaning the stuff we saw was really, really old. sure some of it's been restored, and replicas were reinstalled so that the originals could be put into the museum but still, this is like THOUSAND-year-old stuff. that's crazy when i think about it...i don't think i've ever seen stuff that old before. i mean sure, stuff i saw in Europe and whatever was great; classical, famous, blablabla...but even all that renaissance stuff is only hundreds of years old...babies compared to this stuff.
and those leaves by themselves really are worth seeing. just wish they would've told me we'd be going here earlier so i would've brought my camera...(although maybe if she'd told me about the "trip" she had planned i would've declined haha)...but i had my ketai camera which is better than nothing.
ok here's some shots from today. resolution's crap, but u get the idea:
first things first:
"light" lunch w/ the ladies after arriving in Uji (no nikku! =( but it was still tasty)
the Uji River
(one of its many crossings)
Phoenix Hall...
this thing is old...
building's layout is in the shape of a Phoenix too...
and those crazy ass leaves...these pictures don't do them justice
(lol, oh you know i just HAD to ring that bell...)
some dessert for my "services"...
and there you have it. one day in Kyoto, 4 ladies served, all-expenses paid, and my stomach satisfied.
now THAT's BIG nihon pimpin':
(where mah b*#$hes at???)
things've been a lil hectic since coming back from my Okinawan Holiday.
2 weeks ago: a trip to K-town w/ the school & a historical tour of Mori-G (yes, the Hood has a history)
2 weekends ago: vball tournament in Hirakata City, PTA event(tamaire)
Last week: JET mid-year seminar in Abiko, trip to Ame-mura to see if i could spot any freaks (didn't really see any, guess i was the only one =P)
...and (today) a nice scenic afternoon in the historic city of Uji in Kyoto w/ 4 ladies.
i was totally unaware that i'd be playing nihon gigolo today. they told me it was going to be an English study-group, (i had worksheets n discussion questions all prepped n everything!) but when i met up w/ my contact from the BOE at the train station this morning @ 1100 she tells me things are going to be "slightly" different.
i was a bit choked at first; i thought this discussion group would only last for an hour or 2 then i'd be free the rest of the day, but as it turned out they'd decided to go on a "field trip"...and the plan was to practice their english by conversing with me in a casual atmosphere. great. i was preparing myself for a looong afternoon...we were meeting the rest of the group (3 other ladies) in Uji (2nd largest city in Kyoto prefecture), the location for the day.
i'll admit though, i lucked out. the day turned out to be very interesting and they PAID for everything; train fare, admissions, lunch, snack/dessert...their way of showing gratitude for my taking the time to help them practice their English i guess. but yeah...i totally feel like i'm the one who got the good end of this bargain. a walk through the park w/ a bunch of cougars to "watch the changing colours of autumn leaves" doesn't exactly sound thrilling to me...but it was pretty nice actually.
2 of them just got their licenses as English-speaking tour guides, so they were able to tell me a lot of information about the sites/buildings and stuff; history of Phoenix hall, the city of Uji's connections to the famous Tale of Genji, and other info that helped make things that much more interesting. many of the things we saw are from the Heian Period (which was the last division of classical Jap history: 794-1185)...meaning the stuff we saw was really, really old. sure some of it's been restored, and replicas were reinstalled so that the originals could be put into the museum but still, this is like THOUSAND-year-old stuff. that's crazy when i think about it...i don't think i've ever seen stuff that old before. i mean sure, stuff i saw in Europe and whatever was great; classical, famous, blablabla...but even all that renaissance stuff is only hundreds of years old...babies compared to this stuff.
and those leaves by themselves really are worth seeing. just wish they would've told me we'd be going here earlier so i would've brought my camera...(although maybe if she'd told me about the "trip" she had planned i would've declined haha)...but i had my ketai camera which is better than nothing.
ok here's some shots from today. resolution's crap, but u get the idea:
first things first:
"light" lunch w/ the ladies after arriving in Uji (no nikku! =( but it was still tasty)
the Uji River
(one of its many crossings)
Phoenix Hall...
this thing is old...
building's layout is in the shape of a Phoenix too...
and those crazy ass leaves...these pictures don't do them justice
(lol, oh you know i just HAD to ring that bell...)
some dessert for my "services"...
and there you have it. one day in Kyoto, 4 ladies served, all-expenses paid, and my stomach satisfied.
now THAT's BIG nihon pimpin':
(where mah b*#$hes at???)
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
quick Re-cap... - Tuesday, November 7 2006
the past 5.5 days are a blurrr but from what i do remember, Okinawa was kick-ass. i`ll just leave you with the run-down for now:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nov. 1: evening arrival, dinner, drinks, meet the Okinawan JET crew
Nov. 2: shopping around the city, yakinikku dinner, izakaya after
Nov. 3: Shurijo Castle, Matsuri (festival), Hokka Hokka dinner
Nov. 4: Inaugural scuba dive, breakfast gyros, GOOD Mexican dinner, sunset from the cliffs
Nov. 5: Okinawa aquarium, Turtle beach, another sunset, and my 1st steak in Japan
Nov. 6: last-minute shopping for omiyage, made a dash for the airport through rush-hour to catch our 1710 flight, land @ 1900, climb on the bus back to the "Guch" and we`re feasting on ramen by 2015
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
it was strange getting back into Mori-G and feeling like it was "home"...and pleasant too. not that Okinawa was a bad place (far from it), but it just suddenly made me realize how "comfortable" life seems to be once you manage to settle yourself into a groove. blegh...ANYway, it was an awesome trip.
but it's good to be back.
(post script)
i was gonna leave it at that for today, but D just sent me this hiLARious clip that i must share.
background: after us guys blazed through the indoor exhibits on Sunday at the Okinawa Aquarium, we decided to take a breather out on the grass while we waited for the girls to catch up. T & D were content w/ laying on the grass, and i was too, until i saw this:
remember what happened the last time i saw a "worthy" tree?
( . )
nice big tree + ( . ) = >=P
we're always asking our students what their shumi (hobbies) are to help them practice their English in class, maybe we should turn this into some sort of instructional video:
gotta love digicams.
alright, that's it for now. going to "Korea town" for a field-trip w/ the ni-nen-sei (2nd year) students tomorrow. there's gonna be kimchi everywhere. too bad i don't like it. but i hear the koreans do a good yakinikku, we'll have to find out. =P
sayonara from the Guch...
the past 5.5 days are a blurrr but from what i do remember, Okinawa was kick-ass. i`ll just leave you with the run-down for now:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nov. 1: evening arrival, dinner, drinks, meet the Okinawan JET crew
Nov. 2: shopping around the city, yakinikku dinner, izakaya after
Nov. 3: Shurijo Castle, Matsuri (festival), Hokka Hokka dinner
Nov. 4: Inaugural scuba dive, breakfast gyros, GOOD Mexican dinner, sunset from the cliffs
Nov. 5: Okinawa aquarium, Turtle beach, another sunset, and my 1st steak in Japan
Nov. 6: last-minute shopping for omiyage, made a dash for the airport through rush-hour to catch our 1710 flight, land @ 1900, climb on the bus back to the "Guch" and we`re feasting on ramen by 2015
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
it was strange getting back into Mori-G and feeling like it was "home"...and pleasant too. not that Okinawa was a bad place (far from it), but it just suddenly made me realize how "comfortable" life seems to be once you manage to settle yourself into a groove. blegh...ANYway, it was an awesome trip.
but it's good to be back.
(post script)
i was gonna leave it at that for today, but D just sent me this hiLARious clip that i must share.
background: after us guys blazed through the indoor exhibits on Sunday at the Okinawa Aquarium, we decided to take a breather out on the grass while we waited for the girls to catch up. T & D were content w/ laying on the grass, and i was too, until i saw this:
remember what happened the last time i saw a "worthy" tree?
nice big tree + ( . ) = >=P
we're always asking our students what their shumi (hobbies) are to help them practice their English in class, maybe we should turn this into some sort of instructional video:
gotta love digicams.
alright, that's it for now. going to "Korea town" for a field-trip w/ the ni-nen-sei (2nd year) students tomorrow. there's gonna be kimchi everywhere. too bad i don't like it. but i hear the koreans do a good yakinikku, we'll have to find out. =P
sayonara from the Guch...
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Photobarf... - Wednesday, October 25 2006
crap...it bothers me when i finally find time/energy to blog and my mind's too fatigued to spit out anything i'd consider worth reading. ah well, that's what photos are for i suppose. let's just go w/ the most recent events.
Junky & Tina stopped by "l'hotel Raphael" in Mori-G for the weekend.
enjoy:
(Arrival - Saturday night)
first things first: dessert!
mischief-makers reunited @ the Hemp Bar
a chillin' rooftop in Mori-G
some late night yakitori
(Sunday - more adventures...)
soba breakfast
cruising in the hood is good...look what i picked up?
it just keeps getting better...
geeks in Osaka
the famous takoyaki(octopus balls), almost too hot to handle
2 of Japan's current "hot commodities"
slow food? that is unacceptable
tataki at my fingertips...now that's what i'm talkin' about
(...insert comment here...)
and finally, sake & Kobe beef...on the floor.
twas a good weekend indeed.
OH! i almost forgot...i am indebted to this visit b/c it was during this time that i was finally able to identify the Mysterious (and highly friggin annoying) Midnight Karaoke Man.
about 2-3 weeks after moving in here, i started noticing a faint (at first) voice that would pierce the air nearly every other night at about 2300. no music/tv accompanying it though, just a voice. in Japanese. uttering anything from serenades/ballads to "speedy" songs that sounded like weak Japanese rap.
it was tolerable (even amusing) at first, but you gotta understand...this guy just BELTS it sometimes...and he keeps on going. and going. sometimes i'll fall asleep to him crooning at midnight...and i'll wake up at 0400 and he'd still be at it.
i've been trying to find out who the baka is...i'd assumed he was below me somewhere b/c that's where the sound seemed to come from, but there were other people below me who i knew weren't singing so i figured he was from a nearby building, and despite my ears being able to hear his banshee voice so perfectly...i couldn't get a location.
that is, until now. >=]
seing as how they were the first overnight visitors at "l'hotel Raphael", i warned my 2 guests about the MKM, and they were highly anticipating his performance. sure enough, on their second night here he delivered...and more importantly, we found out where he lives.
the bastard lives DIRECTLY above me. #302!!
i had an empty pop bottle that i had saved on my balcony JUST FOR HIM, so i launched it up right away after we ID'd him after perusing my balcony during a midnight serenade. if you look closely you can actually SEE his shadow moving on the neighbouring building's wall as he sings.
i swear, this dude must be wearing headphones or something; my aluminum can made all this clanging/clattering as it bounced off his balcony, off the glass door, off the railing (and almost falling back down) and finally onto his balcony floor...and all it accomplished was a few seconds of silence before he started singing again.
so we went back inside and nailed the ceiling a few times...buddy stops for a bit, runs to check his door (he probably couldn't hear but felt the knocking and thought someone was visiting. probably a "fan")...closes it and resumes his bellowing.
it'd been a long day and i had no time to do anything else, but the important thing is that i know who my enemy is. that's written in some important book right? "know thy enemy"...or something like that. right? yeah...so whether i just keep on tossing up bottles every time i hear him screeching at night (and hopefully he'll get the idea when he notices a small pile forming), or it comes to me going up and knocking and coming face-to-face w/ this cacophonical cheeseball...at least i have a target. muahahahaha...that makes me feel good.
ok, he's not singing tonight. better take this opportunity and get a good night's sleep.
sayonara...
crap...it bothers me when i finally find time/energy to blog and my mind's too fatigued to spit out anything i'd consider worth reading. ah well, that's what photos are for i suppose. let's just go w/ the most recent events.
Junky & Tina stopped by "l'hotel Raphael" in Mori-G for the weekend.
enjoy:
(Arrival - Saturday night)
first things first: dessert!
mischief-makers reunited @ the Hemp Bar
a chillin' rooftop in Mori-G
some late night yakitori
(Sunday - more adventures...)
soba breakfast
cruising in the hood is good...look what i picked up?
it just keeps getting better...
geeks in Osaka
the famous takoyaki(octopus balls), almost too hot to handle
2 of Japan's current "hot commodities"
slow food? that is unacceptable
tataki at my fingertips...now that's what i'm talkin' about
(...insert comment here...)
and finally, sake & Kobe beef...on the floor.
twas a good weekend indeed.
OH! i almost forgot...i am indebted to this visit b/c it was during this time that i was finally able to identify the Mysterious (and highly friggin annoying) Midnight Karaoke Man.
about 2-3 weeks after moving in here, i started noticing a faint (at first) voice that would pierce the air nearly every other night at about 2300. no music/tv accompanying it though, just a voice. in Japanese. uttering anything from serenades/ballads to "speedy" songs that sounded like weak Japanese rap.
it was tolerable (even amusing) at first, but you gotta understand...this guy just BELTS it sometimes...and he keeps on going. and going. sometimes i'll fall asleep to him crooning at midnight...and i'll wake up at 0400 and he'd still be at it.
i've been trying to find out who the baka is...i'd assumed he was below me somewhere b/c that's where the sound seemed to come from, but there were other people below me who i knew weren't singing so i figured he was from a nearby building, and despite my ears being able to hear his banshee voice so perfectly...i couldn't get a location.
that is, until now. >=]
seing as how they were the first overnight visitors at "l'hotel Raphael", i warned my 2 guests about the MKM, and they were highly anticipating his performance. sure enough, on their second night here he delivered...and more importantly, we found out where he lives.
the bastard lives DIRECTLY above me. #302!!
i had an empty pop bottle that i had saved on my balcony JUST FOR HIM, so i launched it up right away after we ID'd him after perusing my balcony during a midnight serenade. if you look closely you can actually SEE his shadow moving on the neighbouring building's wall as he sings.
i swear, this dude must be wearing headphones or something; my aluminum can made all this clanging/clattering as it bounced off his balcony, off the glass door, off the railing (and almost falling back down) and finally onto his balcony floor...and all it accomplished was a few seconds of silence before he started singing again.
so we went back inside and nailed the ceiling a few times...buddy stops for a bit, runs to check his door (he probably couldn't hear but felt the knocking and thought someone was visiting. probably a "fan")...closes it and resumes his bellowing.
it'd been a long day and i had no time to do anything else, but the important thing is that i know who my enemy is. that's written in some important book right? "know thy enemy"...or something like that. right? yeah...so whether i just keep on tossing up bottles every time i hear him screeching at night (and hopefully he'll get the idea when he notices a small pile forming), or it comes to me going up and knocking and coming face-to-face w/ this cacophonical cheeseball...at least i have a target. muahahahaha...that makes me feel good.
ok, he's not singing tonight. better take this opportunity and get a good night's sleep.
sayonara...
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Finally... - Monday, October 16 2006
for those who're wondering what life in Mori-G is like/might wanna come visit/just don't really give a rat's ass but are bored and need to kill time at work...you finally get to see my place. with no previous JET tennant at this place; it was start from scratch...
some pics i took at the start while testing out my then-new camera phone:
empty.
(i bought the yoga ball so i wouldn't have to eat on the ground.)
seems like it took me forever to find a decently priced "regular" table and chair...why do these people love sitting on the floor so much?! O_o
so, rather than do a typical/boring show n tell, i thought why not make this slightly more interesting. how? ok, just work with me here...let's say...pretend you are...a ninja. oh c'mon...it'll be fun! i promise.
now, prepare to:
Enter the ( . )'s Lair...
(didja do it?)
what?!
"Are you not entertained?!!"
fine.
got a short video clip/tour of the place to kicking around too, i'll add it some other time.
oh yes, and this is my ketai:
the Samsung 804ss. i'm a techno-phobe so obviously i wasn't looking for the fanciest phone out there w/ all the bells n whistles...this one cost like ~$15CDN on a contract.
looks a lot like the Razr if you ask me, and yes i got the orange one. it was either that or the black, and although i liked the "basic" black better at first...it was just plain flat-black and something about being in Japan seemed to sway me towards getting the metallic/copper-orange. this way i won't have to worry about not being able to see/find it at night. =P
for those who're wondering what life in Mori-G is like/might wanna come visit/just don't really give a rat's ass but are bored and need to kill time at work...you finally get to see my place. with no previous JET tennant at this place; it was start from scratch...
some pics i took at the start while testing out my then-new camera phone:
empty.
(i bought the yoga ball so i wouldn't have to eat on the ground.)
seems like it took me forever to find a decently priced "regular" table and chair...why do these people love sitting on the floor so much?! O_o
so, rather than do a typical/boring show n tell, i thought why not make this slightly more interesting. how? ok, just work with me here...let's say...pretend you are...a ninja. oh c'mon...it'll be fun! i promise.
now, prepare to:
Enter the ( . )'s Lair...
(didja do it?)
what?!
"Are you not entertained?!!"
fine.
got a short video clip/tour of the place to kicking around too, i'll add it some other time.
oh yes, and this is my ketai:
the Samsung 804ss. i'm a techno-phobe so obviously i wasn't looking for the fanciest phone out there w/ all the bells n whistles...this one cost like ~$15CDN on a contract.
looks a lot like the Razr if you ask me, and yes i got the orange one. it was either that or the black, and although i liked the "basic" black better at first...it was just plain flat-black and something about being in Japan seemed to sway me towards getting the metallic/copper-orange. this way i won't have to worry about not being able to see/find it at night. =P
Saturday, October 14, 2006
quick notes:
Thursday, October 12 2006: biked to school in the rain, without my umbrella. i'd left it at school the previous day. showed up soggy and wet. very nice.
Friday, October 13 2006: found a little gem w/ some of the Kempo crew on Friday night. rooftop bar/patio less than 10minutes from my place: the "Hemp Bar". great place to just lounge and relax after a long week. must take pictures next time.
Saturday, October 14 2006: finally had to say goodbye to $9 haircuts. this treasure troll mop is getting out of control so i got up early and headed to one of the 20 hair salons in town to get it over with. the guy spoke better English than i expected, but despite that and my feeble efforts to communicate i had to watch in fear as my hair was transformed before my very eyes: first to look like a Beckham wannabe, then an early-90's Fresh Prince, and Astro Boy, before we finally managed to get me looking presentable. *whew* students would've had a field-day if Lee sensei showed up on Monday looking like a pineapple!
that whole ordeal cost me 3150yen. ~$30CDN! good grief.
good news though, afterwards i headed down to Umeda and found a cool shirt.
a Hello Kitty shirt.
yes, Hello Kitty. and, AND...it's PINK.
i'm not joking. it is cool.
(hey, i had a flashback and thought i still looked like David Beckham when i bought it ok?)
ah yes, and another random thought:
the unthinkable has happened...i'm finally starting to watch Anime.
why?
because ppl have advised me that it'll aid in my attempt to learn more Japanese. i don't know why all the CS/Computer dudes watch it, i guess it makes them feel more mature to be watching "sophisticated" cartoons. =P
but yes, i've started watching some "Naruto" and it's pretty cool.
(basically about some goofy kid who wants to become a ninja)
anyone have any other shows to suggest? i tried Gundam and Dragonball, but those just seem to drag on and ooon...no patience for those. and no, not "Bleach"...someone already suggested that, but i read the synopsis and it's about ghosts and such, and ghosts will creep me out and keep me up at night, so no scary ones please.
pics of my apartment/habitat to come soon...
Thursday, October 12 2006: biked to school in the rain, without my umbrella. i'd left it at school the previous day. showed up soggy and wet. very nice.
Friday, October 13 2006: found a little gem w/ some of the Kempo crew on Friday night. rooftop bar/patio less than 10minutes from my place: the "Hemp Bar". great place to just lounge and relax after a long week. must take pictures next time.
Saturday, October 14 2006: finally had to say goodbye to $9 haircuts. this treasure troll mop is getting out of control so i got up early and headed to one of the 20 hair salons in town to get it over with. the guy spoke better English than i expected, but despite that and my feeble efforts to communicate i had to watch in fear as my hair was transformed before my very eyes: first to look like a Beckham wannabe, then an early-90's Fresh Prince, and Astro Boy, before we finally managed to get me looking presentable. *whew* students would've had a field-day if Lee sensei showed up on Monday looking like a pineapple!
that whole ordeal cost me 3150yen. ~$30CDN! good grief.
good news though, afterwards i headed down to Umeda and found a cool shirt.
a Hello Kitty shirt.
yes, Hello Kitty. and, AND...it's PINK.
i'm not joking. it is cool.
(hey, i had a flashback and thought i still looked like David Beckham when i bought it ok?)
ah yes, and another random thought:
the unthinkable has happened...i'm finally starting to watch Anime.
why?
because ppl have advised me that it'll aid in my attempt to learn more Japanese. i don't know why all the CS/Computer dudes watch it, i guess it makes them feel more mature to be watching "sophisticated" cartoons. =P
but yes, i've started watching some "Naruto" and it's pretty cool.
(basically about some goofy kid who wants to become a ninja)
anyone have any other shows to suggest? i tried Gundam and Dragonball, but those just seem to drag on and ooon...no patience for those. and no, not "Bleach"...someone already suggested that, but i read the synopsis and it's about ghosts and such, and ghosts will creep me out and keep me up at night, so no scary ones please.
pics of my apartment/habitat to come soon...
Thursday, October 05, 2006
random - Thursday, October 5 2006
quickly, here's some random amusement while i procrastinate on making a "real" post once again:
1) here's a clip Tyson got of this sudden rainstorm that came out of "goddamn NOwhere" when we were biking around town checking out grocery stores back in August...
(hit just as we were leaving our second heist...*ahem*...i mean, supermarket.)
2) was passing through a cd shop in Osaka when this caught my attention:
almost sounded interesting enough for me to buy...
...almost.
maybe if i come across "Slap of Beef" i'll have to give 'em a listen.
3) now THIS is how you know the Japanese are a technologically advanced nation:
2L of beer from a vending machine.
we can't even buy 2 litres of POP in Canadian ones!
4) and finally, you know how we have those Canadian ads for the Red Cross blood donor services where you hear some touching monologue/story on the radio...with some sappy background music, and they end the whole thing off with their snappy tag line: "Blood...it's in you to give."?
know what i'm talking about?
well, while i commend the advertiser's use of emotional/psychological appeal in calling the public to support this noble effort, it does seem to be sort of a roundabout way of saying "we need hemoglobin!"
now i admit their customs and "politeness" can be a bit trying/frustrating at times, but in this respect(donating blood) the Japanese are much more "to-the-point" than we are:
sign on the back of a mobile donor unit (a big bus in the middle of the street in Osaka)
o yeah, and if there's a sudden emergency or extremely urgent need for blood somewhere, the whole unit goes Gundam-style and turns into this tricked out mobile suit to transport blood asap:
no, not really.
k, i should sleep. gonna be a full day tomorrow; it's our school's Cultural Festival. among other things, i'll be playing tenor sax with the band.
Oyasumi...
quickly, here's some random amusement while i procrastinate on making a "real" post once again:
1) here's a clip Tyson got of this sudden rainstorm that came out of "goddamn NOwhere" when we were biking around town checking out grocery stores back in August...
(hit just as we were leaving our second heist...*ahem*...i mean, supermarket.)
2) was passing through a cd shop in Osaka when this caught my attention:
almost sounded interesting enough for me to buy...
...almost.
maybe if i come across "Slap of Beef" i'll have to give 'em a listen.
3) now THIS is how you know the Japanese are a technologically advanced nation:
2L of beer from a vending machine.
we can't even buy 2 litres of POP in Canadian ones!
4) and finally, you know how we have those Canadian ads for the Red Cross blood donor services where you hear some touching monologue/story on the radio...with some sappy background music, and they end the whole thing off with their snappy tag line: "Blood...it's in you to give."?
know what i'm talking about?
well, while i commend the advertiser's use of emotional/psychological appeal in calling the public to support this noble effort, it does seem to be sort of a roundabout way of saying "we need hemoglobin!"
now i admit their customs and "politeness" can be a bit trying/frustrating at times, but in this respect(donating blood) the Japanese are much more "to-the-point" than we are:
sign on the back of a mobile donor unit (a big bus in the middle of the street in Osaka)
o yeah, and if there's a sudden emergency or extremely urgent need for blood somewhere, the whole unit goes Gundam-style and turns into this tricked out mobile suit to transport blood asap:
no, not really.
k, i should sleep. gonna be a full day tomorrow; it's our school's Cultural Festival. among other things, i'll be playing tenor sax with the band.
Oyasumi...
Saturday, September 30, 2006
from the Archives... - Saturday, September 30 2006
k, better post something before i forget. here's some notes/pics from back in late August when we (the Osaka JETs) were causing mayhem in Rinku Town...
Rinku Town: a little holiday w/in a "holiday" here in Japan. we`re here at the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute in Kansai, near the southern end of Osaka prefecture (the Keihan train stop right before Kansai airport along the coast).
supposed to be here for 2 days of Japanese language training, but this place feels like more of a resort (w/o the all-inclusive good food though). we get 24hr internet access, free rental bicycles to cruise around town, a beach 5 min. away, and a big ass outlet mall (run by the same company that opened up those Premium outlets in Tulalip, WA) close by as well. take those surroundings, throw in a few izakayas AND the hotel`s err...i mean school`s free karaoke/piano/guitar room and we definitely have a nice little retreat going on.
very thankful for the piano and the guitar (just an old electric piano and a ratty old tak, but better than nothing)...loved it for mellowing out. music keeps me sane.
just barely.
=P
this little getaway was definitely refreshing, a nice little "oasis" for our group of 30-40 Osaka Prefecture JETs still weary from Tokyo Orientation, and just beginning to tackle the challenges of setting up shop locally in our own individual cities. it was a good time to just reconnect, chill, and "try" to work on our Japanese.
ok, some pics...
(the view from my room)
(this one's mine)
white pebble beach
the perfect setting for some ruckus:
(Tyson unloading some ammo)
here, D catches me being the "responsible" one:
"uhh guys, are we being legal here? i think this might be wrong..."
5 minutes later...
"...Sugoi!"
(don't worry, this was all legal...fireworks AND alcohol on the beach. now what could go wrong with that? =P)
seriously though, it's like a local past-time.
a tipsy Rob;
(taking a picture of me, taking a picture of him, taking a picture of me, taking a...)
a few from our Gaijin Biker gang
chillin' with some locals
my midnight piano retreat
beach sunrise, after an all-nighter on the 2nd night:
Farewell Rinku Town...
...we'll be back.
k, better post something before i forget. here's some notes/pics from back in late August when we (the Osaka JETs) were causing mayhem in Rinku Town...
Rinku Town: a little holiday w/in a "holiday" here in Japan. we`re here at the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute in Kansai, near the southern end of Osaka prefecture (the Keihan train stop right before Kansai airport along the coast).
supposed to be here for 2 days of Japanese language training, but this place feels like more of a resort (w/o the all-inclusive good food though). we get 24hr internet access, free rental bicycles to cruise around town, a beach 5 min. away, and a big ass outlet mall (run by the same company that opened up those Premium outlets in Tulalip, WA) close by as well. take those surroundings, throw in a few izakayas AND the hotel`s err...i mean school`s free karaoke/piano/guitar room and we definitely have a nice little retreat going on.
very thankful for the piano and the guitar (just an old electric piano and a ratty old tak, but better than nothing)...loved it for mellowing out. music keeps me sane.
just barely.
=P
this little getaway was definitely refreshing, a nice little "oasis" for our group of 30-40 Osaka Prefecture JETs still weary from Tokyo Orientation, and just beginning to tackle the challenges of setting up shop locally in our own individual cities. it was a good time to just reconnect, chill, and "try" to work on our Japanese.
ok, some pics...
(the view from my room)
(this one's mine)
white pebble beach
the perfect setting for some ruckus:
(Tyson unloading some ammo)
here, D catches me being the "responsible" one:
"uhh guys, are we being legal here? i think this might be wrong..."
5 minutes later...
"...Sugoi!"
(don't worry, this was all legal...fireworks AND alcohol on the beach. now what could go wrong with that? =P)
seriously though, it's like a local past-time.
a tipsy Rob;
(taking a picture of me, taking a picture of him, taking a picture of me, taking a...)
a few from our Gaijin Biker gang
chillin' with some locals
my midnight piano retreat
beach sunrise, after an all-nighter on the 2nd night:
Farewell Rinku Town...
...we'll be back.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)